A Secret for a Life
by icyfire2
Summary: Lily's dying. James wants to save her. And he believes the only way to do that is to make her into a witch... COMPLETE
1. You never know

"Shhh," the boy ordered.  
  
Glancing around quickly, he pulled the girl behind him.  
  
"But Jamie-" she whined, reluctantly falling to the soft ground next to him. "It's cold."  
  
The boy shook his ruffled jet black hair out of his eyes and sat cross legged. The girl imitated him, but hugged herself from the cold, staring round at the forest of trees that surrounded them both.  
  
"Are we best friends forever?" he suddenly demanded, snatching one of her hands in his.  
  
"'Till the day we die," the girl replied immediately, quoting the pact they had made.  
  
The boy blanched slightly at these words, but nodded. "Right," he said softly.  
  
Why did she have to say that? Why [I]die[/I]? Why did their stupid pact have to contain death?  
  
Why did [I]life[/I] have to contain death? Why did people have to die?  
  
Why did [I]Lily[/I] have to die?  
  
"Right," he said softly.  
  
His eyes were overcome with a glazed look as he remembered what he had overheard just a few short hours ago. . . but those hours had changed his view on life forever. Lily Evans was his best friend. They had been since the day he stood up for her in a fight when they were six years old, and that had been a whole four years. And Mrs Evans - or Kerry - was his mother's best friend. Which was why it wasn't unusual for Kerry to be at his house, talking and having a cup of tea.  
  
But when he had crept towards the kitchen to spy on them - not really that bad a thing to do. He found out many birthday and Christmas presents that way - he found something that [I]was[/I] unusual.  
  
Kerry was crying. [I]Really[/I] crying. And. . .  
  
His mum was crying too. Not as much as Kerry, but she was crying.  
  
A little shocked, and unbelievably curious, he hid behind the doorframe where they couldn't see him, and listened.  
  
Some of the words they used were too mature for his ten year old mind to understand, but he got the general gist. Lily was dying. And she didn't know.  
  
He was then snapped back to his senses as Lily waved her free hand in front of his face. "Hello? Ja-ames?"  
  
"Oh, yeah. Well. . ." I'm a wizard, he added silently. He'd knew forever, of course. His parents were wizards, his whole family were wizards.  
  
But Lily was a muggle. Her entire family were muggles, and just like everyone else, were oblivious to the fact that magical people were right under their noses.  
  
This frustrated James at times, naturally. Whenever he wanted to talk about Quidditch, or the fact his dad had accidentally transfigured himself into a Labrador at breakfast.  
  
Of course he could make her play. Tell her it was a game and toss her a broom, then explain about the stuff he knew.  
  
But that was all she took it as. A game. With a giggle and a fake knowing nod, she would grin and reply, "Yes, I would love to go to the Quer-idditch World Cup with you!"  
  
It was those times he wished she was a witch. Just so he would be able to talk normally with her, without having to watch every word that came out of his mouth. She thought she knew everything about him. . . but she didn't.  
  
But never before had he wanted her to know for her benefit. . . and could she? Benefit from this?  
  
[I]Yes[/I], he said to himself firmly. Wizards and witches die older, a lot older. They're not as prone to diseases. We have better cures.  
  
But how could he? How could he turn her into a witch?  
  
It was impossible. Play pretend wouldn't work this time. He had to make her a [I]real[/I] witch.  
  
To save her life. Not just to explain about his.  
  
"Right," he repeated, his voice stronger. "Friends forever." He pulled a small pocket knife from his pocket and made a small cut in his finger. Lily winced as she realised he was going to do the same to her, but watched him with interest. His eyes were narrowed with concentration as he stared at her finger until a small drop of blood appeared.  
  
"Forever," Lily echoed, as he held their two wounds together.  
  
James wasn't aware of the dangers of doing this, but even if he had have been, he wouldn't have cared.  
  
You never know, he thought to himself. Wizard blood into muggle blood. . . you never know.  
  
*  
  
Hey! Well. . . yeah. I got bored and this came about. R&R please! Thanks! 


	2. All grown up

7 years later, James did not have to get Lily to pretend to be witch, anymore.  
  
For she was one. One of the smartest, more powerful of her age, in fact.  
  
She understood about Transfiguration, and understood completely about Quidditch. She excelled in Charms, was top of the class in Care of Magical Creatures, and was right up there with even Severus Snape in Potions.  
  
And she popular, as well as clever. Being a naturally happy person, Lily seemed to be loved by everyone.  
  
Excluding the Slytherins of course, but. . . Who DID they like? Besides each other.  
  
She was beautiful. Her messy plaits from her childhood had been exchanged for sleek, shiny straight locks that hung a few inches past her shoulder blades. With time, she had grown bored of the torn, comfy dungarees she could climb trees with, and substituted them for tight fitting jeans and a nice top.  
  
Sure, she wasn't perfect. Who was? Her lower row of teeth were slightly crooked, due to the fact she had flat out refused to wear a brace two years ago, and her fingernails were awful. She never stopped biting them. There was also the deathly pale complexion of her skin that came with being a red head. She hated this, as she could never seem to tan.  
  
But. . . James grinned to himself as he watched her on the stand at the front of the Great Hall. It was the last day of term, and as Head Girl, Lily was giving her speech.  
  
To him she was gorgeous. Perfect. She looked amazing stood there, with her eyes twinkling, and that grin playing across her face as she spoke. . .  
  
It seemed unbelievable to think that he could have lost her, that she might not have been a part of his life.  
  
The two were still best friends. More, in fact. After a brief spat in the sixth year – when James had realised just how much he liked Lily, and decided to let her know it by becoming an arrogant git – the two had started dating about 8 months ago.  
  
Yeah, he thought, unconsciously letting his hand wander to a ring box that was hidden deep in his robe pocket, for later that night. Lily meant the world to him.  
  
And who was have thought – looking at her now, being applauded by the 7th years of Hogwarts, and laughing embarrassedly – that the little girl who was dying 7 years ago was the same woman who stood before him?  
  
The same witch, who hoped to go on to become a great Auror, and was expected to exceed easily.  
  
But he did help do that?  
  
That one day, in the forest, with that little pocket knife. . .  
  
Such a childish thing to do. A desperate hope, and the only thing he could come up with.  
  
But was he the one to be thanked for Lily overcoming her illness miraculously, or was it all a coincidence that Lily was going to go on to go to Hogwarts anyway?  
  
He just didn't know.  
  
But he was damn glad he did it.  
  
Because. . . Who knows?  
  
Maybe he did help. Just that little bit. 


End file.
